Volunteering action plan

Appendix 2: Creating the Plan

The plan was a Programme for Government commitment in 2019 to implement the strategic framework Volunteering for All, delayed due to the pandemic. An early decision was taken to co-produce the plan with a wide variety of stakeholders – experienced voices were felt to be fundamental as the plan developed.

The Plan's development is modelled on the Human Learning Systems (HLS) approach to public management, which was developed by Dr Toby Lowe and Collaborate CIC.^[25] This approach recognises that volunteering is complex and its outcomes are determined by inter-relationships within a system.

The plan process involved five Working Groups (one for each outcome area) supported by a Governance Group and a Management Team. Each Working Group agreed a scope of work, mapped the 'actors' within their domain, and helped develop an overall System Map^[26] before detailing priority actions.

Support was provided through a bespoke Participant Handbook,^[27] with curated reference materials, bespoke evidence workshops and 'lunch and learn' sessions^[28] provided. Regular Governance Group meetings and meetings between the Governance Group Chair, Working Group chairs and Management Team ensured coordinated progress. The process was also supported through regular communications.

Groups were asked to identify and involve relevant stakeholders in developing their proposed actions; further engagement is planned as part of the sense checking process post publication.

This Plan includes dynamic aspects which bring it to life, including real-time access to facilitate our shared understanding of the Action Plan and its future rollout and ongoing development - through documents, shared spaces and websites. We encourage anyone to find out more and get involved, see the Volunteering Action Plan website^[29] for more details.